A typical hand truck typically comprises an item-supporting platform, usually rectangular and having a flat item-supporting surface, which platform is mounted on several casters and is fitted with a handle for manipulating the hand truck. Such hand trucks have long been known.
In most such hand trucks, the handles are permanently positioned in a so-called upright, or generally vertical position. While this configuration allows the user to move the truck, it has been found that it causes several problems. First, if the user is pushing the hand truck, to avoid having his feet hit the back of the platform, the user must stand at a distance behind it, resulting in extra effort and potential back strain while reaching for the handle when pushing the truck. Second, while pulling the hand truck (while hands are at the back of the operator), the handle orientation often causes the heels of the user to be clipped by the platform of the hand truck. Finally, such trucks do not provide a readily solution for storage in a compact space when not in use, primarily because of the upright handle.
While some efforts have been made to provide an adjustable handle for hand trucks, particularly in those made of metal, such have proved to be cumbersome, heavy and expensive to manufacture, and require several uniquely configured and awkwardly positioned components which could add to the potential for injury or irritation to the feet of the user.
In an attempt to solve the storage problem, some hand trucks have been provided with removable handles. Such, however, not only requires an extra mechanical step for the user to disassemble and later assemble the unit, but also requires the ultimate storage of two components. Other solutions to the storage problem involve the folding of the handle down onto the platform. However, in the folded position, the handle interferes with the potential to place items on the platform and does not allow the truck to be used as a dolly, i.e. handless.
U.S. Pat. No.6,024,376 discloses a platform truck including a base member having a top surface to receive items thereon, a handle assembly pivotally carried by the base member and positionable in a generally upright position for pushing the base member, a generally outward position for pulling the base member, and a generally horizontal position generally flush with the top surface of the base member. Opposed side wall assemblies extend generally vertically downwardly from the top surface and have opposed depressions such that when the handle assembly is in the generally horizontal position, the latch assembly holds the arms of the handle, which can be grasped at the location of at least one of the depressions for carrying the platform truck. That patent is also concerned with the casters, some of which being manipulable for unidirectional movement or fully swivellable movement.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a hand truck with a handle that can be readily be displaced into different positions to facilitate pushing, pulling, storing and carrying the hand truck at various respective positions.
The present invention aims at a hand truck comprising a platform fitted with casters, and a handle assembly comprising two parallel spaced arms, each arm fitted at a lower end with a platform engaging assembly; said handle assembly being displaceable between a substantially up-right position being a pull/push position, an inclined pulling position, and a dolly position in which the handle arms are slidably received within the platform.